A Los Angeles tow truck driver has been arrested after allegedly towing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle during a federal immigration operation, facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Bobby Nunez was filmed driving away with an ICE vehicle while agents were conducting an arrest at a downtown Los Angeles luxury apartment complex on August 15. According to a federal criminal complaint, Nunez interfered with officers attempting to detain Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, an undocumented Colombian national. The ICE vehicle he towed still contained its keys and a firearm locked in a safe, as reported by law enforcement.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated that Nunez “apparently thought it would be funny to interfere with our immigration enforcement operations,” adding that the driver could face significant prison time if found guilty. The complaint details that Nunez allegedly struck an ICE agent with a vehicle door during the incident and later parked the seized government vehicle in a residential area two days later.

Nunez’s actions occurred as agents used two law enforcement vehicles to block Martinez’s car and prevent her escape, with emergency lights activated. After being warned about the federal investigation, Nunez reportedly swore at officers and threatened, “Something was going to happen” to them. A second individual also intervened before Nunez drove off with one of the government-issued vehicles.

The case highlights a confrontation between private contractors and federal law enforcement during immigration enforcement efforts.